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After a 36-year absence, Peruvians qualify for the World Cup and a trading card frenzy ensues

After a 36-year absence, Peruvians qualify for the World Cup and a trading card frenzy ensues

Inside the ‘Panini trading cards’ album containing the much longed-for card of Paolo Guerrero. Image by the author, used with permission.

On November 15, 2017, Peruvian football achieved the ultimate dream: the national team classified for the International Federation Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2018 Russia after a 36-year absence.

Some months later, proud football fans are waiting in long lines for hard-to-find trading cards to commemorate this historic moment in Peruvian football history.

But back in November 2017, joy and excitement surged so high that the Peruvian Geophysical Institute recorded a minor earthquake at the precise moment football player Jefferson Farfán scored the first goal against the New Zealand team at the National Stadium in Lima.

The unanimous joy by the fans at the National Stadium caused Lima land to vibrate and the accelerometers recorded amplitudes of land shakings equivalent to a micro earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 1 (imperceptible for people) on the Richter scale.

On March 22, 2018, the Italian company Panini launched its popular trading cards album to commemorate Peruvian football players in two editions: a special hard-cover album and more traditional trading cards.

The hard-cover albums were sold out in just hours. Meanwhile, the trading cards, known in Peru as “figuritas” (literally, small cards), grew scarce just days later:

[…] Panini didn’t expect such a huge demand, so the stock meant for our country was sold out in just days. Not a week had passed, and the Peruvian collector lost all opportunities to get this traditional booklet of the World Cup.

This fast and unexpected shortage upset Peruvian football fans who waited in long lines for the sought-after cards:

There is a guy in line holding an album in one hand and a 100-trading cards pack. LOL!

Panini album: Peruvian national team fans got up early and form long lines to get it.

By early April 2018, the firm announced the arrival of a new set within a few days. Panini representative Óscar Pizarro acknowledged that the huge demand for trading cards and albums of the Russia 2018 World Cup caused an unexpected scarcity in points of sale.

On a radio interview, Pizarro pointed out that they sold 140 tons of trading card packs within in ten days. In comparison, the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 game only sold 40 tons of trading card packs.

Pizarro also noted a demand for the cards since day one, when Panini was informed that distributors sold between 5,000 to 10,000 albums in just 27 minutes:

We estimated the first batch, which doubled the whole batch from the previous campaign, to last for two weeks, but it was sold out in just hours. I have information that from March 22 to April 2, 2018, 140 tons of card packages had been sold. In just ten days, there is a shortage, as there was no way of anticipating this.

The great demand generated by the participation of Peru in the World Cup has achieved a new milestone in the history of sales of albums in the country, [as] 36 years of waiting have far exceeded the demand generated and we are proud to be part of this group of fans so committed to the national team.

Fiercely proud Peruvian football fans took to Twitter to express their disappointments and opinions on the Panini album:

Óscar Pizarro, Panini representative in our country, mentioned the dates of arrival of the now scarce trading cards.The Panini representative explained that the shortage of the album was due to the “unexpected high demand”.——–Panini: this is the replenishing schedule for the supply of trading cards for Peru.

Football fans from other countries shared the excitement of having the Peruvian national team as part of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018:

Panini album: the excitement about football translated into trading cardsFootball fans invest time and money to fill out the Panini album. Companies organize card exchanging events for their employees. Today, there will be a meeting at the Boulevard of Culture at San Miguel.———-Panini album: the excitement about football translated into trading cards.

Foreign media: TOTAL CRISIS in Peru due to President’s resignation!In Peru:-Hey, PPK resigned.-Oh. And what time is the Peru national football team game on Friday?-At 7:30-Do you have the album?-Panini?